Naomi Osaka will play the Billie Jean King Cup for the primary time in 4 years when Japan faces Kazakhstan in a qualifier in Tokyo subsequent month, the crew mentioned Friday.
The four-time Grand Slam winner and former world primary is making her return to tennis this season after giving delivery, and final performed on the match in 2020.
The 26-year-old has performed at 5 tournaments since making her comeback, and misplaced to Belgium’s Elise Mertens within the final 32 on the Indian Wells Masters earlier this week.
She is at present ranked 287 on the earth after taking a 15-month break from the tour for maternity go away.
Will probably be Osaka’s first look in Tokyo since she withdrew from the Pan Pacific Open in September 2022 earlier than her second-round match.
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Japan will face Kazakhstan on April 12 and 13 at Tokyo’s Ariake Coliseum, the place Osaka reached the third spherical of the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
The winners will advance to November’s finals in Spain.
“She mentioned that she desires to play, so I’m actually completely happy,” native media quoted Japan captain Ai Sugiyama as saying.
Osaka has beforehand mentioned that she desires to play at this summer time’s Paris Olympics.